Disclaimer: See Prologue

The Chase

Roxas leaned against the stone building, asking for more than his legs could seemingly handle.

Crossing the Thames for the second time in as many days had worn him out the most, especially since simply walking the bridge would have been like asking to be found. The heavy downpour that had begun the day before persisted and kept him drenched. The late October air chilled him and he lamented having trashed his robe as soon as he had.

Looking out across the street to the open grey that was Hyde Park, he gave himself a few moments to rest and think. He wanted nothing more than to walk in a straight line for more than fifty feet but the park would offer little cover.

He carefully scouted the buildings around him. He thought he had lost the Heartless but he didn't want to let his guard down. He'd led them on a merry chase so far, crossing the Thames as quickly as possible and making his way to the Buckingham Palace Gardens. After that, he made his way to Battersea then doubled back to Hyde Park where he was currently resting. It had been a non-stop race but he was too afraid to sleep, anyway.

Roxas knew the rules of the Organization and he was sure that someone would be trying to find him. He also knew that it would more than likely be Axel that they sent. This didn't rest well with Roxas but he knew that he couldn't hope to out run the scarlet-haired man on foot. So far, he figured that the most he could hope for was to get a fake I.D. and passport somehow and get on a plane and out of the country.

"You there, boy? Are you okay?"

Roxas' head spun to his right. An older woman was peering at him questioningly with worried eyes.

"Do you need help?" she asked.

Roxas wanted to say yes, but now that he knew… Now that he knew just how ruthless the Organization was, he couldn't begin to think about putting someone in danger.

"No," he gulped standing straight. "No, I've just been walking a long time."

She still looked disbelieving so he added quickly, "I was at the store and my friends never came to pick me up so I decided to walk. I got a little lost, but I'm fine now."

"Why don't I call you a cab?"

Roxas turned on his heal and walked swiftly away. "No," he called over his shoulder. "Thank you, but I'm not far away now." He picked up his pace a bit and dropped into an alleyway. Waiting a few moments, he peeked around the corner. When he was sure that she was gone, he darted out across the street and began to cross the park. It wasn't the ideal way of travel but he hoped that he could cover enough ground to have a decent head start before Xemnas and Saix released their cougar.

As sure as Roxas was that he should not be out in the open longer than necessary, he was more sure that Axel would not take long to track him down. While Roxas wasn't sure that he could hold his own against the hit man while tip top, he was dead certain that he'd fall to him as he was now: half alive.

The only choice Roxas had now, he was certain, was to move as quickly as possible. Head west as best he could; chasing the rain.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Xigbar nearly skipped into the dimly lit office. It had been so long since he had been sent out with a specific purpose. Striding confidently to the other side, he acknowledged the ever present Lexaeus with a nod and came to a full stop beside Xemnas. They stood in silence for a few moments, watching the people hurry along outside. Some protected by umbrellas and some running to the next cover they could find.

Xemnas growled. Somewhere, out there was Roxas. A promising, yet recently troublesome boy who needed to be taught a lesson.

"How did he get out of the building?" Xigbar asked.

"Very quickly," came the angry reply. "He's very talented at escaping… It could have been useful."

Xigbar grinned maliciously. "There are always more useful people." He turned to leave. "I'll go make you one."

"Use caution, Xigbar. Watch them. Take only the strong. No need to cause panic." Xemnas placed one finger against his mouth and turned to face the man with the eye patch. "This time," he continued, almost ponderously. "Make at least three. As Marluxia interviews them, I'll have him report back and we will choose the most appropriate." With an expression that suggested even he was astounded with his own intellect, he turned back to the window.

Xigbar shook his head and gave a clipped laugh. "Are you ever going to tell Marluxia that I'm the one stealing their hearts?"

"What I do is my own business," Xemnas replied in a steely tone. "You just do what you do best… and bring me some strong hearts."

Xigbar smiled at the prospect of going to work. "What if I see Roxas?"

Xemnas waved a hand, dismissing the question. "Leave him to Axel."

Xigbar gave a curt nod. "As you wish." Turning, he quickly left the room, the door closing quietly behind him.

Xemnas continued to stare across the city for a moment before giving up his musings and, approaching his desk, poured himself a glass of wine. His eyes flicked to Lexaeus who managed to look both bored and vigilant at the same time.

"Speak freely, Lex," Xemnas stated between sips. "What do you think of the idea of our little liaison knowing of our little harvesting adventures?"

Lexaeus thought carefully before answering. "I think that, for the time being, it's better that fewer people know of that particular part of the Organization."

Xemnas nodded his agreement. "And what of Axel?"

"He's certainly a competent assassin," Lexaeus offered. "But ultimately… not to be trusted. Perhaps he should not have been sent after the boy alone…"

Xemnas let loose a manic grin and walked over to his guard. "I agree, Lex. Far too much of a live wire." He clapped the large man on the shoulder. "Which is why I sent our little spy after him…"

"Zexion?" Lexaeus clarified. As his boss nodded his head he let himself wear a slight smirk.

"And Demyx. Wonderful find, that Demyx. Effective at anything he puts his mind to." Draining his glass, he placed it back on his desk. "I won't be sending Axel out again without someone to check him."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Finally heading out, huh?" A cheery Marluxia questioned Axel as he double-checked what he was taking. "I can't believe you didn't bolt out the door as soon as the squirt disappeared." He absentmindedly flipped his scythe. "After all, you're not really one for taking orders…"

Axel paused in his preparations. "I am if I don't want them to think I'm running, also." He turned to face the grinning man. "Beat it flower child, I'm busy."

"Oooooh, someone's testy. What's wrong? Don't want to go after the child?"

"I have no problem killing anyone. It just surprised me that it was him. I expected it to be you…"

Axel's comment was met with a face full of rose petals from Marluxia's scythe. Grinning, he turned toward the weapon that was still pointed toward him. "What? Can't take a joke?"

Marluxia glowered at him. "I am not a traitor."

Axel snorted and slipped a knife up the sleeve of his cloak. "Well, fancy that, the Organization doesn't require such lofty aspirations as treason to kill you." Shrugging, he turned back to his dresser which he had turned into a makeshift weapons chest. "Then again, much more likely that it would have been Larxene… insane bitch."

Marluxia leaned against the wall. "That I will agree with you on…" His eyes glanced over the extra weapons the assassin was stowing away around different parts of his being. "Why are you taking any of that? Not taking your chakrams?"

"Yes, I'm taking them. Can't kill him without 'em, can I?" Axel answered, annoyed. "But I like to be prepared for any occasion. I can't blow my cover and sometimes large flames and spinning weapons do that." He slid a dagger down the inside of his boot. "And while I am magnificent with my whirling beauties, they do make the more… refined work more difficult."

Finally, Axel pulled out a Browning Hi-Speed. "And, if worse comes to worse…"

Marluxia's eyebrow raised. "I thought you didn't want to give yourself away…"

Axel sighed as he pulled out a silencer and attached it to the gun. "Sometimes you're such a spoil-sport," he grinned. "Now go away."

Holding the soaking wet Organization cloak that he had just pulled out of the garbage, Axel shook his head and lamented to himself. "Now, now, now Roxas… what if someone else had found this?" He folded it and stowed it in the small pack that he'd attached to his back before leaving. "Not very responsible of you at all…"

Rounding a corner, he continued on. Letting his instincts lead him in only a way that he knew how, he continued to trek his way through London at a decent pace. He acknowledged that Roxas was smart enough to have crossed the Thames multiple times and double back on himself. Not many people would have had the nerve to bring themselves closer to the ones they were running from, either. It was almost effective.

He'd been following Roxas for nearly a day and a half and he'd seen no proof that he had yet to leave the country. So far it had been simple. It would have been simpler without the rain. Axel mildly acknowledged the fact that he looked like a drowned rat. He'd given up trying to brush the hair away from his face as it plastered itself there from the weight of intense moisture. Knowing that it could only help him blend in, he grumblingly accepted the uncomfortable change and continued to slosh his way through alleys and back roads.

What he couldn't ignore was the tail that he'd picked up.

He'd only been aware of his little follower for a couple of hours and it had taken nearly that long to figure out if he was just being paranoid. Now that he was sure, he knew he had to do something about it. The pursuer had been following him from above, negotiating rooftops but had dropped down to ground level, Axel supposed, to get closer.

Bad move.

Axel slid around a corner into the darkest shadow he could find and opened his cloak. Leather straps across his pale chest held numerous other items he had packed. Vaguely snickering at the fact that he was quite the fire hazard, Axel unhooked a grenade from one of the straps and closed his cloak again. From the nape of his neck he pulled out a long thin rod with a small mirror attached to the end. Carefully, he stretched it out to look around the corner.

There he was. The dark figure wearing the same style cloak as Axel himself was wearing.

"If that's the way they wanna play," he muttered to himself. "I'm game." Holding the spy mirror in one hand and the grenade in the other, he did a quick check to make sure there wasn't anyone else nearby. Satisfied that they were alone, or, at least, that no one could see him, he yanked the pin out of the grenade with his teeth and spun around the corner. A short glance was all he needed to aim. Throwing the grenade directly in front of the cloaked body, he thrust himself back into the alley, replaced the mirror at his spine and continued on as he grinned at the blast.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Zex, I know you're the one who has this spy stuff down but could we just get off of the roof and under something for a few minutes?" Demyx nearly begged.

"Why would you want to do something silly like that?" Zexion questioned coolly, staring down at Axel from his perch. "You're already wet. A few moments covered is not going to change that. I thought you liked water."

Demyx huffed. "I like it when I'm controlling it. Not when I'm freezing and following a psychotic killer. Still, I suppose it wouldn't do any good to let him have a better chance to see useither."

Zexion cocked his head to the side. "Oh, he's seen us."

Demyx's eyes shot to Zexion. "What do you mean 'he's seen us'?"

"There aren't many things that that could mean, Demyx," he smirked. Placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder, he directed him to the fire stairs. "He's seen us because I want him to see us. I want to put pressure on him… make him uncomfortable. He only thinks there's one of us."

"Saix didn't say anything about that. How do you know he thinks that?"

"Saix is not a spy," Zexion smirked. "I know what I am doing. They would not have sent us if they did not want to use our… qualities." From the look in his eyes, Demyx could tell that Zexion meant that to answer both of his questions.

"Why the hell did I have to come again?"


Zexion descended a few stairs, reached the first platform and sighed. "Because when you're not talking, you're very… talented." He gave Demyx a knowing grin and received a smile that could have almost been endearing if it weren't for the mischief in Demyx's eyes. "Now, go back up to the roof," Zexion ordered. "Don't bother with watching me, keep your eyes on Axel. Don't let him out of your sight."

Demyx's smile turned uneasy. "What are you going to do?"

"Increase the pressure." With that, Zexion turned and lithely descended the steps, barely making a noise.

Turning on his heal, Demyx grumblingly made his way back to the roof. He could easily see the red-head about sixty feet from the building he was standing upon. Quickly and quietly, he backed up a few paces and leapt from one roof to the next. He moved swiftly, keeping out of sight until he alighted on the building a few paces ahead of Axel. Crouching down, he lowered himself out of anyone's line of sight and kept watch over the man who had just dropped into the alley through a barred opening in the roof wall. Demyx waited for him to continue on, but instead, Axel opened his cloak.

Demyx caught sight of Zexion's figure walking swiftly up the deserted sidewalk and then back to Axel. Demyx could barely make out the barest flick of light as Axel used the rod to look around the corner. Looking at Axel's other hand, Demyx wanted to jump cover and make his way down into the alley. He barely had time to react before the grenade landed at Zexion's feet. Nearly in slow motion, he watched Zexion stop and take a step back before the grenade exploded and covered him from view.

Demyx barely stopped himself from jumping off the roof. Marking himself, he looked back just in time to see Axel making his way swiftly down the alley. With one last look to the debris that was still falling from the blast, Demyx pulled his hood as low as it would go and followed the assassin.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Xemnas strode into Saix's private quarters shadowed by Lexaeus.

Saix, who was sitting at his desk, looked up at the two men and almost smiled. "It worked again," he exclaimed, signing off on the paper in front of him before standing. "Axel used to be hard to buy off. Seems like Vexen's little potion still has it's hold over him." He motioned to the vial that was now sitting on the corner of his desk.

Xemnas picked the potion up and stared into the glowing red liquid. The brightest he'd ever seen. "Yes," he whispered, entranced by the fluid. "He does love the feel of it when he drinks it… the elation, the…completion. But such a small amount…" Replacing the vial on the desk, he turned to Saix. "The amount is what worries me."

Saix's eyebrows knit together closely. "What are you talking about Xemnas?"

"We knew he was strong Saix, but to take so little and feel so much for so long… I wonder if he's not strong enough to become enraged enough to end our deal… to come after us." He inclined his head toward Saix as if to make him understand. "He is a talented murderer."

Saix thought back to his words moments before. "And not easily bought off… You're afraid that he's strong enough to resist if it meant he would not have to take orders?"

Xemnas gave a curt nod. "I'm afraid that, after Axel returns, we may be in need of a new assassin.

A/N: Thank you to those who read and reviewed and Alerted the story! Huge thanks to my wonderful beta- Amy! Who cared enough to breath down my neck from 7 states away to get me to update quickly. Love you hun!

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